A: Ulrich's™ is the authoritative source of bibliographic and publisher information on more than 300,00 periodicals of all types academic and scholarly journals, Open Access publications, peer-reviewed titles, popular magazines, newspapers, newsletters and more from around the world. It covers all subjects, and includes publications that are published regularly or irregularly and that are circulated free of charge or by paid subscription.

Q: Why is it called Ulrich's?

A: Ulrich's is named after its originator, Carolyn Farquhar Ulrich, the Head of Periodicals at the New York Public Library. Ulrich's was first published in 1932 as " Periodicals Directory: A Classified Guide to a Selected List of Current Periodicals Foreign and Domestic ." This title continued through the third edition published in 1938. Then, with the 4th edition (1943), the title was changed to honor Ms. Ulrich and became Ulrich's Periodicals Directory: A Selected Guide to Current Periodicals, Inter-American Edition (with a focus on non-European titles because of the difficulty in getting information during WWII). From 1943-1965, the title was Ulrich's Periodicals Directory . Then, with the 11th edition in 1965, it became known as Ulrich's International Periodicals Directory , the title it held until the publication of the 39th edition in 2000, when it reverted to an earlier title, Ulrich's Periodicals Directory . It also incorporated Irregular Serials and Annuals in 1988. Since its early days, Ulrich's has been the global source for periodicals information.

Q: What types of serials are not included in Ulrich's?

A: While aiming for maximum title coverage, Ulrich's has established certain criteria for inclusion. Ulrich's covers publications that meet the definition of a serial except administrative publications of governmental agencies below state level that can be easily found elsewhere. A limited selection of membership directories, comic books, and puzzle and game books is also included.

Q: Can a serial be included in Ulrich's if it does not have an ISSN?

A: Yes. Although an ISSN is not required for a title to be included in Ulrich's, it is strongly recommended that every eligible serial should have an ISSN.

Q: Do publishers have to pay to get their titles included in Ulrich's?

A: No. There is NO CHARGE for a listing in Ulrich's. All listings are FREE. Participation and cooperation by publishers is encouraged in order to ensure Ulrich's provides its users with the most accurate and comprehensive serials information possible.

Q: What is a Refereed serial?

A: As used in the Ulrich's knowledgebase, the term refereed is applied to a journal that has been peer-reviewed. Refereed serials include articles that have been reviewed by experts and respected researchers in specific fields of study including the sciences, technology, the social sciences, and arts and humanities.

Q: Ulrich's includes Open Access Journals. What does that mean?

A: Titles in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) are included in Ulrich's, as are other publications that support a funding model that does not charge readers or their institutions for access. Publications with limited free access such as those that may be available free only for a select period of time or have other restrictions on free use are included in Ulrichsweb.com but are not found using the "Open Access" limiter. To find all free publications, a user can select the Price Range "Free" option in Advanced Search.

Q: Does Ulrich's include information about where a title is abstracted and indexed?

A: Yes. Ulrichsweb.com tracks and updates abstracting and indexing coverage data from more than 400 sources worldwide including print indexes, online indexes, and indexing and citation databases such as Scopus and ISI Web of Science.

Q: What does it mean that Ulrich's maintains a "vendor neutral" stance?

A: Serials information users rely on Ulrich's to provide an unbiased approach to data collection and the widest possible breadth of information about serials and serials providers. For this reason Ulrich's includes publications from all types of publishers, from large commercial entities and scholarly societies to independent publishers and not-for-profit publishers. In addition, Ulrich's collects and reports electronic availability data from as many providers as possible, including aggregators and publishers, abstracting and indexing services, document suppliers, reprint services and others. It is not Ulrich's policy to exclude a provider's information from Ulrich's records for competitive reasons. Similarly, Ulrichsweb.com is designed to work with a library's link resolver, federated search tool or local catalog regardless of vendor or ILS system and includes many other linking options for mutual subscribers of key serials and e-resource services.

Q: Are Ulrich's subject headings the same as Library of Congress or Dewey Decimal subject headings?

A: No. Ulrich's Subject Headings are proprietary subject headings used to classify the serials in the Ulrich's database. They are generally based on Library of Congress (LC) subjects, but are created and maintained by Ulrich's. The subject headings are overseen by our Ulrich's editorial team. Ulrich's subjects are known and respected in the library community, are patron-friendly and provide an easy-to-utilize, flexible alternative to Dewey Decimal Classification and Library of Congress subject classifications for serials.

Q: Do Ulrich's records contain information about a title's circulation?

A: Ulrich's contains circulation data for a wide range of serials, but mostly for US newspapers and for trade and consumer publications. Not every Ulrich's record contains circulation data. Where it is present, circulation data is displayed on the Advertising, Rights & Demographics tab in Ulrichsweb.com. The circulation figures in Ulrich's records relate to the number of customers to whom the publication is sent per issue. It is not related to the number of articles published per issue or the number of titles published each year. Circulation designations in Ulrich's records reflect the type of circulation for the publication: "paid" (i.e., the number reflects paid subscriptions); "paid and controlled" (i.e., the number reflects the fact that some recipients pay for their subscriptions and others receive free issues); "controlled" (i.e., all of the subscribers are sent the publication as part of a group); and "unspecified" (i.e., the publisher has not specified the type of circulation). Ulrich's works with national circulation bureaus and associations as well as with publishers for the reporting of circulation figures for individual titles.

Updating and Maintaining Ulrich's

Q: Who updates the information in Ulrich's?

A: Our team of multilingual editors works daily to maintain the Ulrich's knowledgebase. Ulrich's maintains an active outreach program not only to collect serials bibliographic information, but also to educate publishers and providers in the importance of working with us to keep their title information as up to date as possible.

Q: How often is Ulrichsweb.com updated?

A: Our editorial staff processes incoming data on a daily basis throughout the year. Ulrichsweb.com users have access to the most current data on a weekly basis.

Q: If I know of a title that is not listed in Ulrich's, can I contact someone at Ulrich's to find out if it can be added?

A: Yes. If you know of a serial publication that is not already tracked by Ulrich's, you can bring that title to the attention of the Ulrich's editorial team by sending an email to ulrichs@proquest.com . In your email, include the name of the publication and any other information you may know about that publication such as the name of the publisher or the provider who makes it available. An editor will follow up with the publisher or provider and attempt to get the most recent information about the publication.

Q: Where does the information about Refereed journals come from?

A: The Ulrich's editorial team assigns the "refereed" status to a journal that is designated by its publisher as a refereed or peer-reviewed journal. Often, this designation comes to us in electronic data feeds from publishers. In other cases Ulrich's editors phone publishers directly for this information, or research the journal's information posted on the publisher's website.

Q: Where does the list price information in Ulrich's records come from?

A: Publishers provide our editorial group with information about their titles at various times during the year and we research individual records, families of titles, and publisher's offerings on an ongoing basis. The primary season for publishers to release the next year's annual pricing is the third quarter of the calendar year. For the very large publishers, annual price lists are the norm. For smaller publishers, or for publishers who work through their distributors in order to provide us with price data, schedules may vary. The pricing information we request from publishers is list pricing. We display an "effective" year with list price data in Ulrich's. In our experience, most publishers maintain their list prices throughout a calendar year; however, some may change their pricing on a more frequent basis. We work with tens of thousands of publishers, their agents and distributors, as well as selected third parties in order to keep pricing data as current as possible.

Ulrich's Subject Headings

Q: What are Ulrich's Subject Headings?

A: Ulrich's Subject Headings are proprietary subject headings used to classify the serials in the Ulrich's database. They are generally based on Library of Congress (LC) subjects, but are created and maintained by Ulrich's. The subject headings are overseen by our Ulrich's editorial team. Ulrich's subjects are known and respected in the library community, are patron-friendly and provide an easy-to-utilize, flexible alternative to Dewey Decimal Classification and Library of Congress subject classifications for serials.

Q: How many Ulrich's Subject Headings are there?

A: There are approximately 100 top-level Ulrich's subject headings and more than 950 overall.

Q: Who created the Ulrich's Subject Headings?

A: Ulrich's subject headings were originally created by librarians. The use of these proprietary headings has been in place since the early days, when Carolyn Ulrich, Head of Periodicals at the New York Public Library, first compiled her " Periodicals Directory: A Classified Guide to a Selected List of Current Periodicals Foreign and Domestic " in 1932. The Ulrich's subject headings have been added to, modified, and updated by Ulrich's editorial teams (which include librarians) over the years to ensure that Ulrich's subjects keep pace with users' serials information needs.

Q: How are Ulrich's Subjects assigned to serials?

A: The publishers who provide Ulrich's with EDI data may select and assign Ulrich's subjects to their publications. If a publisher does not designate an Ulrich's heading, but provides a Dewey or LC subject classification, the Ulrich's editorial team maps the original heading to an Ulrich's subject and stores the original classification in the Ulrich's record. If data are received without pre-assigned Ulrich's headings or without Dewey or LC subjects, the editorial team determines and assigns one or more Ulrich's heading based on the publisher's content description, information from the publication's website, or other sources. A title in Ulrich's may be classified under as many as four (4) Ulrich's subjects, although the vast majority of titles are classified under one heading or a heading and sub-classification. The inclusion of Dewey and LC classifications in addition to Ulrich's headings means that records have multiple access points at the subject level.

Q: How are Ulrich's Subjects used in Ulrichsweb.com?

A: Ulrich's subject headings are indexed as phrases in the Subject index on Ulrichsweb.com. Users may Browse the index to select a specific term, or use the Advanced Search feature to search for all or part of an Ulrich's subject. Additionally, each Ulrich's subject is indexed in the Keyword index so that users can identify subject terms using that index in the Quick Search and Advanced Search modes.

Q: Can Ulrich's Subject Headings be used to catalog serials in the OPAC?

A: Ulrich's predates MARC format, and was never designed to be a MARC cataloging database. However, some librarians choose to include Ulrich's subjects in their MARC 69X fields as local subjects on their primary catalog records. Including Ulrich's subjects in their MARC records provides an additional point of reference (and linking) between catalog records and a library's Ulrich's products.

Who Uses Ulrichsweb.com

Q: What types of libraries subscribe to Ulrichsweb.com?

A: Ulrichsweb.com subscribers include libraries and knowledge centers around the world and represent all types and sizes of public, private, academic, corporate and government institutions.

Q: How do libraries use Ulrichsweb.com?

A: Librarians, faculty, students and patrons in subscribing libraries use Ulrichsweb.com for many purposes. Ulrichsweb.com is used by librarians who work in all facets of librarianship including collection development, selection, acquisitions, reference, research and electronic resource management. Library patrons rely on Ulrichsweb.com to make serials search and discovery easy and effective, and Ulrichsweb.com brings them in-depth information on serials in more than 900 subject areas. Researchers in all disciplines rely on Ulrichsweb.com to help them identify periodicals in which to publish or which support their research interests, and they can easily determine whether journals and other serials they identify are held by their own library, are available via Open Access, or are serviced by document suppliers. Ulrichsweb.com is often a key component in an academic library's bibliographic instruction programs because it can be used to identify peer-reviewed journals and other academic and scholarly resources. If there is a need for serials information at your library, Ulrichsweb.com can help!

Q: Who else uses Ulrichsweb.com?

A: Publishers subscribe to Ulrichsweb.com to get the latest information about serials published around the world. The world of serials publishing is growing in complexity and publishers rely on Ulrichsweb.com to keep them apprised of new publication launches, new electronic providers, journal transfers and more. Research laboratories, corporate information centers and other organizations use Ulrichsweb.com to meet their ongoing serials information needs.

Features and Functionality

Q: How does Ulrichsweb.com differ from the print edition of Ulrich's Periodicals Directory?

A: Both IP Address access and Username/Password access are available. If your institution uses a proxy server or other means to authenticate users, Ulrichsweb.com can be made accessible to your off-site and remote access users.

Q: What types of searching options area available in Ulrichsweb.com?

A: Ulrichsweb.com offers a number of different options for serials search and discovery. Quick Search, which appears on every Ulrichsweb.com screen, provides an easy way to find serials by ISSN, Keyword, Subject, Title (Keyword) or Title (Exact). The Advanced Search feature provides tools for easily carrying out even the most complex search queries. Ulrichsweb.com also includes a Browse mode and a Boolean Search option. The Search History feature allows a user to save the most recent 15 searches from a current Ulrichsweb.com session.

A: Yes. Ulrichsweb.com is a source and target of OpenURLs, and can be used with your institution's link resolver to link to and from full-text resources. A number of important mutual-subscriber linking arrangements provide Ulrichsweb.com users with access to other serials-based services. In addition, Ulrichsweb.com provides free links to journal tables of contents, article abstracts, journal full-text, and document delivery services.

Q: Can we incorporate an OpenURL icon/image into Ulrichsweb.com for our library's users?

A: Yes. It is possible for the library to include an OpenURL icon/image that is familiar to the library's users. Instructions for how to point to the desired image file are provided on-screen in the My Account administrative area where the library can set link resolver settings.

Q: Are there additional linking options for Serials Solutions libraries?

A: Yes. As a part of ProQuest, Ulrich's and Serials Solutions can offer additional linking capabilities for Serials Solutions clients with Ulrichsweb.com accounts. Ulrichsweb.com can be searched using both Serials Solutions® 360 Link and Serials Solutions® 360 Search. Ulrichsweb.com also provides "bi-directional linking" with the library's Serials Solutions E-Journal Portal. This feature allows the library's users to link from an Ulrichsweb.com record to the library's E-Journal Portal list of holdings to find out where the library subscribes to a particular e-resource. The link can be set up in the Ulrichsweb.com My Account area. Once this link is enabled, Ulrichsweb.com users will see a Serials Solutions icon on any record that is covered by Serials Solutions. The same library can request from Serials Solutions that their E-Journal Portal be set up with a "Title details in Ulrichsweb.com" link. That link lets a user link into the library's Ulrichsweb.com account t view bibliographic and publisher details about a title in the library's holdings.

Q: Can I download information from the Ulrichsweb.com site?

A: Yes. There are several options for downloading. Ulrichsweb.com users may print, email or download up to 200 full records per session in either ASCII text or ASCII-delimited formats. Users may also set up customized print and email formats, and create personalized Lists to save online or share with others.

Q: Are usage reports supplied?

A: Yes. Your Ulrichsweb.com account administrator is able to view reports that show how users are accessing your Ulrichsweb.com account based on the username or the IP Address selected. Ulrichsweb.com usage statistics are not COUNTER-based as of 2007, but will be moved to COUNTER compliance for database usage reporting.

Subscription Information

Q: How is Ulrichsweb.com sold?

A: Ulrichsweb.com is available as an annual subscription product. The annual subscription price covers all enhancements to Ulrichsweb.com that are made during your current subscription year. The annual subscription price includes technical support and free access to the Ulrich's Alerts service.

Q: How do I subscribe to Ulrichsweb.com?

A: If you are interested in a subscription to Ulrichsweb.com, please contact us at info@serialssolutions.com . You may also contact us by telephone toll-free at +1 (866) SERIALS (737 4257).

Q: Do you offer trial access?

A: Limited trial access to Ulrichsweb.com is available. Please contact us for more details at info@serialssolutions.com . You may also contact us by telephone toll-free at +1 (866) SERIALS (737 4257).

Q: Do you offer sales to library consortia?

A: Yes. Please contact us for more information at info@serialssolutions.com . You may also contact us by telephone toll-free at +1 (866) SERIALS (737 4257).

Help & Technical Support

Q: Do you have technical support?

A: Yes. Ulrichsweb.com technical support is available from Serials Solutions. Library Client Services can be contacted via the Support Center or email, clients@serialssolutions.com. For assistance via telephone, North American clients please call +1 (866) SERIALS extension 4, and clients outside of North America please call our UK office at +44 12 2312 5512.